Protective football gear that works

We’re all familiar with the injury risks posed by the amateur game. The dry summer pitch with bare, bone-bashing goalmouths; the uneven winter quagmire that’s perfect for some leg-breakers; the five-a-side sandpaper that opens up the same cut every single week.

Fret no longer. US-based Italian Claudio Storelli – who played college football Stateside – has finally decided to do something about it.

“I found it amazing that nobody had tried to develop any gear to help prevent this problem,” he tells FFT of his eureka moment. “All my team-mates would get annoying injuries. And when you’re hurt, you become more tentative. I wanted to create something new that allows everyone to play hard without worrying about the repercussions of getting hurt.”

His solution was the Storelli range of ‘next-gen protection’. “Traditional layers like EVA foam compress vertically, into your bones, so we use polyurethane,” says Storelli. “This absorbs impact laterally and is much better.”

The result is a collection of garments that are light and breathable but spread a blow, whether as leg protectors, body shields or head guards – the latter sported by Wayne Rooney (left) after a bash to the bonce. “It looks badass, too,” adds Claudio. It does indeed. Several pros are already buying it for themselves. For the rest of us, they’re the perfect prescription for battling in roughhouse conditions.

Bag a Storelli BodyShield shirt at Pro Direct Soccer or www.storelli.com